The Singaporean government is yet to decide whether to extend its formula one race contract beyond 2012.

Earlier this weekend, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone said he would be happy if the sport continued to return to the Asian city-state for another 20 years.

Singapore, which became F1′s first night race in 2008 with a five-year deal, has become a highlight of the annual calendar.

But senior minister of state S. Iswaran said on Sunday the government would need to weigh up the costs and benefits before making a decision about the future of the event.

“We want to make sure the economic benefits are justifiable going forward,” he told reporters at the Marina Bay circuit on Sunday night.

“I would say the decision to proceed will rest on a robust cost-benefit analysis, and clearly the terms on any deal we get going forward,” Iswaran added.

Local reports said the current deal includes a two-year option.

As afternoon becomes evening in Singapore, the storm clouds are gathering above the city street circuit.

As the experience of the past week has shown, any significant rain from now until the race-start at 8pm is likely to guarantee a wet track for the grand prix.

“The track dries incredibly slowly,” observed Red Bull’s Mark Webber.  “It’s something I haven’t seen in my entire career.”

Until late afternoon on Sunday, the sun had been shining in the Asian city-state’s Marina Bay area.

But with three hours to go until race time, the skies have darkened, the wind is picking up, and there has been the odd drop of rain.

There is rain showing on the longer distance radar, but most paddock sources believe the race should be dry.

“If it does rain, the track will never dry out.  It takes so long,” agreed McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

Bernie Ecclestone says he would be happy if Singapore emulated the success of its night race with an unchanged format “for 20 years”.

The F1 chief executive expressed his delight with the sold out event in the Asian city-state late on Friday at the opening of a Hublot watch boutique near the Marina Bay venue.

According to the local Straits Times newspaper, Ecclestone wants the Singapore race to stay the same until 2030 “and then see what needs to be changed”.

The 79-year-old Briton said the race is a jewel in F1′s crown and “keeps getting polished”.

He did not mention two criticisms of the event.

After practice, having seen his friend Adrian Sutil’s Force India launched spectacularly, Lewis Hamilton slammed the re-profiled turn 10 chicane as “ridiculous” and “the worst corner I’ve ever driven in formula one”.

And reigning world champion Jenson Button pointed to track drainage as a problem, explaining that long after the rain had stopped, there was “a lot of water coming up through the circuit”.

As has become the trend in Singapore this week, it has been raining once again on Saturday afternoon, prior to the evening practice session on qualifying day.

The F1 circus is generally very happy with the event, however, despite Nico Rosberg arriving back at his Pan Pacific hotel at 2pm on Friday night to find the kitchen had stopped serving dinner.

The German told AFP news agency: “The atmosphere is incredible and the concept of a night race works really well once you get into the routine of staying on European time.”

Mercedes insists it is still not worried about Michael Schumacher’s outings on the saddle of powerful superbikes.

Immediately before travelling to Singapore this week, the seven time world champion tested 180 horse power KTM and Honda bikes at the Sachsenring circuit in Germany.

It was on the same sort of German IDM championship bike in early 2009 that Schumacher fell and hurt his neck; an injury that prevented him from racing in injured Felipe Massa’s Ferrari cockpit last August.

But Mercedes’ Norbert Haug said in July that if “Michael can deal with the risk, so can we”.

And a spokesman for the German marque told DPA news agency on Wednesday: “Michael has fun riding bikes and knows exactly what he is doing, and we know that too.”

Schumacher arrived in Singapore on Wednesday, and immediately headed to the Marina Bay area to inspect the street circuit on a scooter.

The German has never raced in the Asian city-state, nor in a formula one car under lights.

“Driving a new track has never been too complicated for me and I am usually very quick to learn and find the rhythm,” he said.

Fellow Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was asked in Singapore on Thursday if he will be offering advice about night racing to his famous teammate.

“He will probably ask, I probably won’t tell him anything,” he joked.

F1 drivers have admitted they are concerned about the prospect of rain under the Singapore lights this weekend.

During the first two editions of the sport’s first night event in 2008 and 2009, wet weather did not fall on the city street circuit.

“I’ve never driven in the rain at night,” said F1′s most experienced driver Rubens Barrichello in the Asian city-state.

“I really don’t know what to say about that. We just have to wait and see,” added the Brazilian.

The worries are that the bright overhead lights will reflect off the wet surface of the track, and perhaps even the rain droplets themselves.

There was a huge downpour in the Marina Bay area on Wednesday, and on Thursday another severe storm rolled in.

“It (Wednesday’s rain) was so heavy that rivers of water flooded the track to a point where the tyres can’t deal with it,” said Sir Jackie Stewart.

“In daylight, we can see beyond the track if we’re heading into rain. But here, the light is contained on the circuit and everything else is dark.

“So it’ll be very challenging on the drivers’ peripheral vision,” added the triple world champion.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel commented: “We’ve yet to experience any wet running on a floodlit track, so it will be interesting if that happens.”

Nico Rosberg admitted he is “definitely worried” about the weekend’s weather forecast.

“It’s going to be rather interesting if it rains, but I hope it doesn’t because it will be quite messy,” said the German.

Michael Schumacher returned to the saddle of a powerful racing motorcycle this week before heading to Singapore.

According to German media reports, the 41-year-old on Tuesday morning travelled in his private plane to the Sachsenring.

He then tested 180 horse power KTM and Honda racing bikes with friends he met during his time in the IDM German superbike championship.

It was when testing the same sort of IDM bikes in early 2009 that Schumacher fell and hurt his neck; an injury that prevented him from racing in injured Felipe Massa’s Ferrari cockpit last August.

Meanwhile, Schumacher’s Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg was already in Singapore on Tuesday, where he had to hitchhike back to his hotel in the cab of a truck after a taxi lost its way due to road closures around the Marina Bay circuit.

“Good luck, stay safe,” one of his Twitter followers wrote.

It has been a glum day in Singapore, where in the city’s Marina Bay area the fifteenth round of the 2010 world championship will be held this weekend.

The paddock of the street circuit is currently wet, and there have been black clouds overhead, amid reports bad weather is forecast for most days of the grand prix event.

That will be a concern for the teams and drivers, who are worried that rain could produce reflections from puddles and glimmering water droplets under the bright trackside lights.

“I think rain would be really challenging,” said Nico Rosberg, who arrived in Singapore at the weekend.

But the majority of Singapore’s rain at this time of year is reportedly falling during daylight hours, while the track action is scheduled either in the evening or after sunset to suit the bulk European television audience.

Another concern is the city’s high humidity conditions.

“Even though the race is at night it’s still very humid, which makes it difficult for the drivers to stay cool,” explains Formula Medicine doctor Riccardo Ceccarelli.

Singapore has made changes to its Marina Bay formula one street circuit ahead of this weekend’s grand prix.

According to the race organisers, the changes are mainly to “address the feedback from the drivers”.

The track has been resurfaced between turns 3-7 and 14-19 to minimise bumps, while the pitlane surface has been lowered by a centimetre and resurfaced to ensure a smoother transition to and from the track.

The controversial turn 10 chicane, where Kimi Raikkonen crashed in 2008, has also been changed, with the kerbs realigned to make the changes of direction more gradual so that drivers can “make safer exits” from the section.

Aesthetic changes have also been made, including the bright colorisation of the walls and the run-off areas.

A Singapore official has played down concerns the city-state will run out of time to prepare the floodlit street circuit for this year’s formula one race.

Singapore will host the Youth Olympic Games in the same Marina Bay area until the end of August — less than a month before the F1 circus arrives in town for round 15 of the 2010 world championship.

But Justin Chew, the Singapore Tourism Board’s executive director of F1 projects, told the state-owned MediaCorp: “We do have enough time.

“Based on the timeline set by the Youth Olympic Games organisers, they will take at least two to three weeks to vacate the circuit completely.

“But we have already ‘de-conflicted’ it and whatever time they need to move out and what we need to put in the area have been worked out,” he insisted.

The tight schedule means that fundamental structures for the street circuit such as lighting trusses are already being erected.